Dec. 25 Letters: Selling the region, workforce training

December 24, 2013

Defend Hampton Roads

Concerning "Hampton Roads/Richmond Merger?" (Dec 22) as a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), this is a great idea. Hopefully that will cause media to recognize more than Norfolk in compiling lists of bests for this or that.

Example, USAA Magazine, Winter 2013, rates Norfolk as No. 6 in the nation as a best place for veterans to find jobs. But reading the description of "Norfolk," with a population of 1.7 million, for example, the magazine is clearly talking about the Hampton Roads MSA, which includes the Peninsula as well as Southside. Or maybe Hampton Roads will get lost again to a more well known name like Richmond. In any case where are our combined city fathers and governments in monitoring and defending Hampton Roads' blessings?

It has long been an observation of mine that the only way for the U.S. to once again be a leader in the world is to educate our children very early. In order for our children to start kindergarten competitively they must have the opportunity to attend formal pre-school programs.

Children need this education as early as three years old or even earlier. They are little sponges of curiosity and must be funneled into positive school experiences. This educational infrastructure will allow them to feel equal as they emerge into public kindergarten.

The country has many single-parent families so busy earning a living or perhaps taking care of aging parents. The children in these homes may not have had the opportunity of Sunday School, pre-school or home-school by parents who have that time available. However, we can accomplish this, we must.

Many problems that exist in public schools today could possibly be curtailed by virtue of having had the opportunity to learn productively at an early age. The richest country in the world must give equal opportunity to the least of us.

As a community, we have many public and private resources. Let's put them to work, on the smallest of our population.